IIESDAYD EC EMBER 4,
2 SECTIONS • 14 PAGES
December 3j
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NEWS IN BRIEF
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iead days
I The Battalion will not pub-
|sh Wednesday or Thursday,
he final publication of the
emester will be Friday.
Itories and archives are
Ivailable on the Internet at
ww.thebatt.com.
Teenager pleads
juilty In murder
jftwo professors
i the Aggies
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CONCORD. N.H. (AP) -
ne of two teenagers
. Jwged with murdering two
lartmouth College profes-
|ors agreed Monday to plead
Milty in one of the slayings.
James Parker, 17, will
lead guilty to an adult
harge of accomplice to
^cond-degree murder in
e stabbing of Susanne
antop, Prosecutors and
defense attorneys did not
ay what would happen to
e murder charge involving
e victim’s husband.
“Jimmy has made the deci-
ion to accept responsibility
r his actions, and is hopeful
at his plea will enable his
mily and that of the Zantops
begin the healing process,”
efense attorney Cathy Green
aid. “He is now 17, and will
ay a very heavy price for his
ole in this tragedy.”
PUBLIC EYE
imj
Average per
capita income
in Texas
$26
1999
,858
2000
$27,871
TODAY
Page 3A
Silver Taps
• The tradition
affects many, last
ceremony of the
semester tonight
Page 1B
gs headed
for Houston
• A&M awaits
Conference USA
opponent in
Astrodome
OPINION
Page 5B
Hit the
road, Jack
• Highway 6 should
be a road traveled
by naysayers
WEATHER
TODAY
, it- A
40
HIGH
76° F
)
LOW
61° F
tomorrow
Y i' '
4f|.
i
HIGH
77° F
LOW
J
63° F
FORECASTS COURTESY OF
www.weathermanted.com
Texas A&M University — Celebrating 125 Years
S E R V I
N G
THE
TEXAS
A&M
C O M M U N
I T Y 6
SINCE
1 8 <
) 3
Volume 108 • Issue 70 College Station, Texas www.thebatt.eom
A&M safest campus in nation
By Amanda Smith
THE BATTALION
The words of the Aggie Code of Honor tell stu
dents that “Aggies do not lie, cheat or steal,” and
according to a report released by the FBI,
Aggieland has fewer crimes than any other college
in the United States.
Texas A&M had fewer violent crimes than any
other major higher education institution in the
nation in 2000, according to the FBI’s 2000
Uniform Crime Report, released last month.
Annually, colleges and universities are
required to report all violent crimes, including
murder, manslaughter, robbery, rape and aggra
vated assault. A&M reported only two violent
crimes in 2000. Purdue was recorded as having
the second-best record with six violent crimes,
followed by the University of Texas, with 13 vio
lent crimes.
Bob Wiatt, director of the University Police
Department, said the department works toward
improving campus safety.
“In the year 2000, we had only two violent
crimes,” Wiatt said. “One was a sexual assault and
the other a robbery. We feel we are very fortunate.
A lot of that goes to the students themselves. The
See Crime on page 2A. chad mallam • the battalion
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HoUday
donations
may drop
By Eric Ambroso
THE BATTALION
As the holiday season approaches,
Americans typically reach into their wallet to
help the less fortunate.
Angela Bies, a lecturer at the George Bush
School of Government and Public Service, said
the six weeks from mid-November through the
start of the New Year always are the best time for
charity fund raising. However, many charitable
organizations are unsure what effect the Sept. 1 1
tragedy will have on this year’s donations. The
declining economy and the amount of money
raised for the disaster relief efforts in New York
and Washington, D.C. have created an unclear
future for traditional and local charities.
“First, people -should be proactive and take
control of their giving,” Bies said. “Families
should sit down together in order to determine
how much to donate and which cause they want
to support. In making decisions, remember that
non-profit, traditional organizations are active in
providing services everyday and that these needs
will not decrease.”
Cathy Quintana, executive director of the
Brazos Valley chapter of the American Red
Cross, said the Red Cross is not actively solicit
ing relief funds to specifically benefit victims of
the terrorist attacks.
“We will always be seeking donations to
respond to other accidents,” Quintana said.
“Thousands of people have donated to the disas
ter relief funds, but other traditional charities
need donations too. If all donations are tunneled
towards the relief efforts, then traditional chari
ties will not be able to respond to disasters in
their local community.”
Bies said there is concern that illegitimate
agencies will take advantage of the situation by
soliciting funds that will not be used for chari
ty. Bies said the to determine if an organization
is legitimate is to request a copy of its
International Revenue Service (IRS) tax-
exemption certificate or look up the organiza
tion on the IRS Website. She added that no
more than 30 to 40 percent of a charity’s
income should go toward administrative costs,
and warns against agencies that claim 100 percent
See Donations on page 6B.
Easy rider
JOHN LIVAS • THE BATTALION
A member of the A&M cycling team goes for an afternoon and headed around Albritton Bell Tower onto Wellborn Road
ride. Cyclists started their ride near the Academic Plaza and George Bush Drive.
Graduation speakers chosen
By Melissa Sullivan
THE BATTALION
With a positive outlook on educa
tion and a series of good relationships
with colleges and universities, Dr.
Miguel Angel Rodriguez, president of
Costa Rica, will speak to Aggies in the
Colleges of Science and Engineering
as they prepare to walk across the
stage on Dec. 14.
Rodriguez was elected in February
1998, and took the oath of office on the
following May 8. He will conclude his
term in May 2002.
“I have known him for over 40
years,” said Jaime Darenblum, the
ambassador to Costa Rica in
Washington, D.C. “We were class
mates at the University of Costa Rica
together and he was one of the best stu
dents there.”
Several Costa Ricans have studied
at A&M and programs in the country
continue to expand, Darenblum said.
“He has a clear vision of the future
of Costa Rica,” Darenblum said.
After graduating from the
University of Costa Rica in 1963,
Rodriguez attended the University of
California-Berkeley, where he received
his doctorate degree. He was appointed
president of congress before being
elected president.
“He has definitely had a distin-
See Rodriguez on page 2A.
Students help design hospital
By Justin Smith
THE BATTALION
Texas A&M’s College of
Architecture unveiled plans for a
4.1-million square foot medical
center for McGill University in
Montreal, Canada Monday.
Planned by almost 150 graduate
and undergraduate architecture
students, the McGill University
Medical Centre will be the new
home for six of Montreal’s aging
hospitals.
The majority of health-care
facilities in Montreal have been
operating in old buildings, some
of which pre-date World War II.
The College of Architecture pre
viously has worked on M.D.
Anderson Hospital in Houston
and children’s hospitals in Dallas
and Chicago.
“The hospitals are just being
moved to newer facilities and
will still hold their same names,”
said George Mann, the Ronald L.
Skaggs endowed professor of
health facilities design.
“We assembled a team of 75
third-year, fourth-year and gradu
ate architecture students along
with 50 third-year, fourth-year
and graduate landscape students.”
The new hospital facility will
house two children’s hospitals,
one a Shriner’s children’s hospi
tal, and a neurological center,
along with the general hospital
and emergency-needs building.
The center will serve as a region
See Hospital on page 2A.
SPECIAL TO THE BATTALION
Report: Journalism
in need of changes
By Sommer Bunge
THE BATTALION
The three-member consultant team that descended on Texas
A&M’s Department of Journalism concluded Monday that the
department was in need of drastic revision, including building a
new facility, hiring at least five tenured faculty and cutting the
number of students in the department by half.
In a report addressed to College of Liberal Arts Dean
Charles A. Johnson, the consultants — journalism professors
from the University of Alabama, the University of Wisconsin
and the University of Texas who were nominated by A&M pro
fessors — expressed doubt that the Grammar, Spelling and
Punctuation Test that all journalism majors are required to pass
is not an adequate “screen for competency in writing.”
After extensive interviews and meetings with faculty, staff and
students in the journalism and speech communication departments.
Journalism on page 6B.